Ghent declares every Thursday 'Veggie day'

The city of Ghent in Belgium will declare every Thursday a vegetarian day in an attempt to fight climate change.

The city of Ghent in Belgium will declare every Thursday a vegetarian dayPhoto: GETTY

8:14AM BST 14 May 2009

Ghent city officials will also offer climate-conscious consumers tips on limiting their meat intake, which they believe consider a significant source of pollution.

Tom Balthazar, a Ghent city councillor, says abstaining from meat one day a week "is good for the climate, your health and your taste buds.

"A balanced vegetarian meal is not only sustainable, but also a healthy meal," he said.

"We eat too much meat in Flanders and too little fruit and that has disastrous consequences for our health.

"Too much eating meat increases the cholesterol and the risk of some cancers, diabetes and obesity."

The city, 30 miles west of Brussels, threw a party Wednesday to celebrate the first veggie day. It dispensed recipes and a list of vegetarian restaurants, and gave demonstrations on how to cook a green meal. Municipal restaurants will limit meat to an alternative section of the menu Thursdays.

The UN says meat production is responsible for nearly one fifth of greenhouse gasses, hence Ghent's decision for the weekly vegetarian day.

Schoolchildren are set to follow public officials with their own "veggiedag" in September.

The Ethical Vegetarian Alternative, Belgium's national vegetarian organisation, said: "Ghent, in co-operation with the vegetarian organisation EVA, is determined to go the extra mile in our common battle against climate change. Other Belgian cities have already shown interest in following Ghent's example."